


A Tale of Two Horses

by misura



Category: Havemercy Series - Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett
Genre: Book: Shadow Magic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-18
Updated: 2011-06-18
Packaged: 2017-10-20 12:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"You're not a horse."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>"How kind of you to notice."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale of Two Horses

"A question," Caius said.

Since he hadn't actually _asked_ anything, and since Alcibiades was quite sure Caius was going to ask whatever new question he had thought of no matter what, no immediate reaction seemed to be called for.

They had been on the road for a good three days now, and Alcibiades found himself looking forwards immensely to their arrival. Once home, he'd finally be rid of Caius's company - for the rest of his life, if he had any luck left. Even a few days of being left alone sounded wonderful already, and, once back in Thremedon and at the Esar's court, Caius was bound to find someone else to annoy.

"My dear, do you have a headache?" Caius sounded half-concerned and half-put out.

"That's your question?" Alcibiades sounded grumpy. He _felt_ grumpy. If Caius didn't like that, he could simply _not_ keep pestering Alcibiades with all these inane questions.

Caius tutted. "You were making _such_ a face. I was convinced something was the matter with you. But no, what I actually wanted to ask was: isn't Petunia a name best suited to, well, a lady?"

Alcibiades grunted.

"Because I couldn't help but notice your horse is named Petunia," Caius went on, as if Alcibiades' grunt had been some kind of encouragement or an expression of interest, "and yet in all of your dear Yana's letters she is very clear on your horse being, well, a male. The 'king of horses', even, although I'm not quite sure how such a thing could be accomplished."

Alcibiades decided a grunt was probably more of a reaction than was necessary to keep Caius talking. He didn't see what could be so damn interesting about the name he'd chosen to give his horse, anyway, but then, Caius often took an interest in topics Alcibiades found completely uninteresting.

"My dear, I cannot help but feel there is a story here - one that you are refusing to share with me, which is really quite unkind of you. I do forgive you, of course," Caius went on. "I know you can be quite shy on occasion."

"No story to tell." Alcibiades hoped the expression on his face conveyed that even if there might have been anything at all to the matter, that still wouldn't have made it any of Caius's business.

Caius, unsurprisingly, refused to leave things at that. "I shall have to figure it out for myself, then. You are right: that will be much more entertaining. And you _will_ tell me if I've gotten it right, won't you?"

"He died," Alcibiades said curtly.

Caius blinked, looking confused for a fraction of a second. "Your horse died? And you _lied_ about it to dear Yana?" He sounded at once delighted and exasperated.

"I didn't _lie_ ," Alcibiades protested. "I just ... didn't tell her."

Caius beamed at him.

"She doted on that horse! It would only have made her sad," Alcibiades said. He didn't sound particularly convincing, even to himself. "I don't see the harm in it."

"Oh, I quite agree with you, my dear. Lying to the people we love in order to spare them any grief is nothing but good sense. Everyone does it all the time. Why, only yesterday, when you asked me if - "

"I was wrong," Alcibiades interrupted him, not particularly wanting to hear the rest of that sentence. "When I get home, I will tell her what happened."

"She will probably be quite angry with you for a while," Caius said. " _I_ would be." He looked quite pleased with himself.

Alcibiades wished, not for the first time, that he could have spent the journey back on horseback, rather than to share Caius's couch once more.

"So, what did happen to the poor 'king of horses'?" Caius asked.

Alcibiades shrugged. The memory wasn't particularly pleasant, for all that it had been a considerable while ago. "Some sort of sickness."

"My dear, you shouldn't still blame yourself. These things happen - to people as well as horses. I'm quite sure you did what you could for the animal. Fed him an apple every day."

There was no reason, Alcibiades told himself, for his cheeks to feel slightly warm. Yana knew quite a bit about horses, certainly, but the army employed plenty of people who were all experts on the care of horses, all of whom had assured him apples were, in fact, not an absolutely necessary part of any horse's daily diet. "It was _my_ horse," he said stubbornly.

"If I ever fall ill, _promise_ me you won't blame yourself, please do. Being ill is unpleasant enough by itself; knowing you would feel responsible for it would be too dreadful for words." Caius shuddered.

"You're not a horse."

"How kind of you to notice. I do hope that you will agree that we are friends, though, and I'm quite sure you love your friends at least as much as you do your horse." Caius's expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "Personally, I would have to confess that if I were given a choice between saving your life and saving that of my horse, I would choose you without a second thought and with very few regrets - other than the fact that I had somehow allowed myself to be maneuvered into such an unenviable position, of course."

It was well past time to return to responding in grunts, Alcibiades judged.

"You would hesitate a little longer, naturally," Caius continued. "I quite understand; there's no need for you to feel guilty over it."

Alcibiades wondered how many more hours it would be until evening.

"I am convinced that you would find a way to save us both, in the end," Caius said, his tone that of someone trying to soothe an upset child. "Thus, there would be no need for you to choose at all."

Alcibiades grunted.

"Perhaps I should write to dear Yana on your behalf. I am sure I could think of a way to break the news to her gently, and in such a way that she can clearly see you only had the very best of reasons for not being truthful with her."

"You will do no such thing," Alcibiades said.

Caius made a show of looking surprised. "I was not aware you had that kind of Talent, general. Do tell me, though, will there be any delightful surprises this coming week? Mind, I would be very cross with you if you were to tell me what they are, but knowing that one will be surprised by itself hardly ruins the surprise itself, does it? In fact, I feel it rather adds to the pleasure."

"I am warning you, Greylace." Possibly, Alcibiades reflected, he ought to have invoked the friendship Caius swore existed between them, rather than attempt some vague kind of threat. It wasn't as if he had anything to threaten Caius _with_ , after all. "Please," he added, a bit gruffly.

"Oh, well, if you ask it of me as a favor, then how could I possibly refuse? Of course, traditionally, favors are something one exchanges. I'm quite sure I will be able to think of something you could do for me in return though." Caius beamed at him.

Alcibiades decided the journey couldn't be over soon enough.


End file.
